By ALEJANDA GARCIA
Staff Reporter
Confidence, I believe we all had it at one point. As kids, the ability to climb to the top of an old tree or the courage of riding that bike again with scrapped knees, was never questioned. We were quick to raise our hands in class and always said yes to the wildest antics in the playground. Yet, we’ve turned into adults that fear putting ourselves out there.
Somewhere over the years, we had something or someone changes our minds and steals our fire. I say it is time to take it back. We have the ability to do it ourselves and we shouldn’t rely on anyone else to make us feel as good as we deserve.
It’s important to understand where low self-esteem may come from. According to “Psychology Today,” trauma, conflict with authoritative figures and bullying are amongst the list of possible reasons for a damaging mindset and other mental health issues.
I do not believe medicine is the way to cure these diseases. Although I understand that some people need antidepressants or other medications, I think we must stop trying to apply Band-Aids to the issue. As a society, we have been conditioned to believe there’s a pill for everything versus confronting the main issue head-on.
It has become popular to victimize ourselves. We see it in movies, television shows and the books we read. We hear about it in music and it’s become second nature to compare ourselves to others on social media.
I’m not ashamed to say I’ve struggled with issues like these and much of it was due to the environment around me. I finally realized that some people would rather see me talk down on myself than feel accomplished. I would concentrate on the negative until it consumed me, which according to “Psychology Today,” is normal. The brain is naturally wired to focus on the negative in order to avoid harm, but the problem lies when it forgets to relax.
I believe we all have the ability to accomplish big things. We are more than the boundaries we set for ourselves. Start that business, wear that dress, or make the first move; quit thinking you’re not enough. Let go of the people that don’t want to grow with you and most importantly, give yourself a chance. Say affirmations, talk to a professional, or do whatever is needed to find love in yourself again.
Leave a Reply